Early in the morning, at first light prior to sunrise (when the Light is starting to be revealed) one needs to recite the prayer, “Hear O Israel.” A person stayed in the night, in the darkness, without strength and under the dominion of his egoistic desire. However, he has done the proper preparation and triggered the Zivug Aba ve-Ima at midnight which started correcting his desires.

This is how a person begins to add the property of bestowal or the Light into the darkness – his big, cruel, egoistic desire to receive sensed as night or darkness. The Light comes to him, but he can’t feel it because this is the Surrounding Light that shines during the night, in the darkness, in the exile from the spirituality.

However, this Light corrects a person and, suddenly, he starts feeling that this is not darkness. The darkness comes only from his side, but, in reality, there is Light. If he, on his side, adds the property of bestowal or the Light of Hassadim, then the Light of Hochma is revealed within Hassadim and “darkness starts shining as light.” That is, the day begins.

In other words, the day starts not because some new Light descends from Above, since nothing changes Above. Rather, a person corrects his desires through his efforts and begins revealing the Light of “day.”

This is when, for the first time, he should recite the prayer, “Hear O Israel.” This is how a day in the spiritual world begins. Later on, he says other prayers, that is, he triggers special acts and the uniting (Zivug) of the Light and the desire.

The Kabbalists wrote a prayer book based on this. It helps us understand the actions we’ll have to perform in the spiritual world when we reach it.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 04/04/10, The Zohar

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Spirituality is the quality of bestowal that is revealed in the bond between souls. This is the only thing the Kabbalists write about, as there is nothing else. There is no other reality.

We exist in a universe and the space between us is filled entirely with bestowal. This whole system with all its internal connections is called “the Creator.” And every one of us who wants to uphold this system and observe its laws is called the “creation.”

Presently we are not creations, and we do not pertain to the Creator’s system. Indeed, a creation is one who desires to be connected with others. He wants to actualize the system just as it exists from the standpoint of nature, which is concealed from us.

We currently exist in this system and observe its laws 100% of the time though we are entirely unaware of this fact. Even now, we exist in a completely corrected state called “1,” which is a state before the descent into our world.

Everything is already working perfectly but only from the standpoint of the Creator. We have lost perception of this state and must now bring ourselves to consciousness: To desire to return there and reveal our true location and function. The return of this system to this previous state depends on our desire, preparedness, and efforts.

Then we will reveal the same state wherein we already exist, but this realization will enable us to feel it as state “3.” It will appear to us as clear, deep, and full of perfection. This state is 613 times greater than the original state. We only need to correctly understand this system and ourselves within it so as to begin the work of revealing our true state, our true life.

From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson, 4/2/10, The Zohar

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The story of coming out of Egypt is the revelation of the process of transitioning from feeling our world in the egoistic desires, to feeling the Upper World in the acquired quality of bestowal. A person takes his whole household, meaning all his desires: the desire to receive – his “wife” as well as his “children” – his next states and he tells them about the past.

In other words, he reveals the past in the future desires, through this story. He goes through a revelation, which he performed unconsciously when he came out of his egoistic desire through the Machsom.

At that time, the Creator performed this action on him, and he “ran in a hurry, in darkness,” performing this escape without understanding it. He couldn’t even feel these actions because everything occurred in darkness, in concealment from him.

However, now as he sits and tells this story, he returns to the same states. He examines the Creator’s actions which were performed on him, and carries out these actions on himself, on his “household,” and on the “children,” meaning on his future states. He repeats the Creator’s actions after Him. This is precisely what is called the story of coming out of Egypt, when the “father” tells his “son”: “Look what the Creator has done with me…”

First the Light raised him to the degree of bestowal, “gave on deposit” (Lavu Elai). With the force of bestowal which he has now, he can perform the same actions on his own with the desires that are situated below him (Ve Ani Porea). In this manner, he repeats the Creator’s actions of bestowal and becomes just like Him.

First we receive all the forces, Lights, and knowledge from Above. The Creator teaches us, like children, and gives us everything until we grow up and are able to carry out these actions on our own. No one demands that we become adults immediately, but after we receive all the forces and are led out of Egypt, we are obliged to repeat these actions on our own.

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Spiritual roots also have an influence on their material branches. Everything is determined by the order of dissemination of the forces of Light, which affect our material, the desire to receive pleasure. There is a special periodicity and causality in the affect of these Lights.

They have a mechanism, which puts into gear and controls everything from the head of the World of Atzilut. From there, from Arich Anpin, Aba ve Ima, YESHSUT, and ZON, which exist in special relationships to each other, we receive changes, which are called: year, month, week, days, minutes, nights, as well as many different more internal states.We are talking about qualities and the combination of qualities, which have a great influence on this world.

If a person wishes to connect himself to the spiritual root and to place himself under a greater influence of the Upper Light, in order to become closer to it, then one must use these periods of a special influence on us from above. If one wishes to ascend spiritually, then during such periods in our world, which are called holidays, he needs to unite with the intentions that pertain to such influences.

In ARI’s book, The Gates of Intentions, he explains how a person should act during such special periods of influence on our world, as Rosh HaShana, Sukkot, Pesach (Passover), Shavuot, and so on. If we are talking about Pesach, then its most significant characteristic is the Light of Hassadim. When a person receives the Light of Hassadim for the first time in his life, he acquires the quality of bestowal and rises above his ego.

Therefore, it pays for us to think more about the Upper Light, which, at this time, has a greater power to raise us above our egoism and to keep us above it, in the quality of bestowal. Subsequently, we will already be able to advance further and to feel the spiritual world with all its details.

Thus we should spend all the days of Pesach thinking about the unification between us and the Upper Light, which raises every one of us above his personal egoism. This needs to be our main intention over the course of the whole holiday.
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Who is He, the Creator? The Creator is my internal sensation of my next exalted state to the extent that I am able to imagine it. Every time I change, I picture the Creator in the new way. This is why He is called    Bo-reh (come and see).

We have to understand that there is nothing absolute and unchangeable here. Everything depends on a person’s understanding, perception, and attainment. In reality there is no eternal or unchangeable truth. We need to be ready for these changing perceptions. Something that was black will become white and vice versa. The entire attitude, evaluation, and view of things will change.

It seems to us that this is a somewhat precarious system that doesn’t have a firm base. On the other hand, it does give us a new, completely unique foundation, which is called faith above reason. In other words, in the egoistic desires, it is impossible to receive any concrete knowledge that could be set in stone and would never change.

This fluctuating truth actually pushes a person forward to search for solid ground. And the search leads one to find that the only unwavering truth is revealed in the spiritual world. The solid ground is found to be in faith, in the force of bestowal, rather than in the force of receiving. It is revealed in facts that are above my mind and sensation – at the level of bestowal, Bina.

Suddenly it becomes clear there that there are no things which negate each other, no things which are in opposition to each other. Rather, it is revealed that by connecting and complementing one another, all become parts of the single, perfect wholeness. One sees that Pharaoh, the Creator, the person himself, and the serpent are all part of a singular whole. This perfection becomes revealed to a person as a rigid and unchanging basis for all his actions.

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“Abraham” is the first spiritual property that we reveal within. It is the main quality of bestowal, Hafetz Hesed (one who wants mercy). When Abraham reaches “old age,” meaning that a certain stage is completely revealed to him, a new state emerges which is fundamentally opposite to the preceding stage.

This is a process in which Abraham continuously raises himself above his previous desire associated with Babylon before attaining the next stage. First, he distances himself from all the forces and desires of Babylon’s inhabitants who worship other gods. When he detaches himself from it, he leaves that place or stage, and a new stage emerges. On this new stage, the cycle repeats. Once again he reveals the desire within, which returns him to the previous state he just left.

Since he is continuously growing above desires qualitatively, it only seems like a new stage emerges. A desire reveals itself on the “left side” opposite to Abraham, yet, at the same time, it is his “son,” which means it is a consequence originating from Abraham. This is how "Isaac," which signifies the left line, Bina, Gevura (prevailing, overcoming), emerges as the source of all impure forces associated with the left side (Klipot).

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A question I received: Why is it that in spirituality men need to go through circumcision (Brit Mila) even though men embody the quality of bestowal in the spiritual world and not women who correspond to the quality of reception?

My Answer: Indeed, if we’re talking about Malchut’s correction, it follows that it is the female (receiving) part that should be corrected. So, why is it that the correction (circumcision of three impure desires or Klipot) is done in Zeir Anpin which is the symbol of male qualities?

Before the End of Correction, my intention to bestow only applies to the desires above Tzimzum Bet (Second Restriction). These are the desires connected to the qualities of Bina while all the other desires still can’t be corrected. For this reason, they are cut off from use and become usable again only at the End of Correction.

The intention to bestow within me is called “man” and desire is called “woman.” This intention to bestow is called Zeir Anpin, man, or “overcoming.” I see how I need to arrange and cut off this intention and I see which form of bestowal to apply to make it suitable for the Creator. Malchut, the receiving part within me, is without form. However, the “bestowing” part in me must be given form, specifically to the extent of and depending on what I am willing to bestow. Then, I realize that I’m unable to work with my intentions and that my screen doesn’t cover the full depths of Malchut. It follows that I must reduce my intentions to some degree.

The part within my soul called “man” is the intention to bestow in my soul. It is this part that the circumcision applies to. We’re not talking about anything external; this is my inner “bestower” whose form must correspond to the Creator. That’s why I perform this correction of Brit Mila, meaning I restrict myself in the usage of certain parts of Malchut, and thereby advance in the spiritual world. Accordingly, this is why this commandment doesn’t pertain to “women.”

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A question I received: What kind of “just” social framework does Baal HaSulam write about in the article, “The Nation”? Is he really concerned with organizing a more comfortable, well-fed life within the boundaries of this world? How can this be the concern of a Kabbalist who knows that everything is governed by the Upper Force, and we are temporarily placed within this world only in order to correct our soul?

My Answer: Despite what you say, Baal HaSulam also knew that people will reach a point in their development when they would reveal that they lack the Upper Force to correct their relationships. Then they will need the science of Kabbalah because only the Upper Light can correct the relationships between people. There cannot be a good relationship between people unless they are connected by the Creator. Only through Him can people unite with one another. In other words, life itself will force people to reveal the path and forces of correction.

Two people can never be connected with one another directly, but only through the quality of bestowal, which is called the Creator. Baal HaSulam understood this very well since he possessed the highest spiritual attainment. However, in order to bring the regular reader closer to this, he starts his explanation from afar. When a person understands what kind of unity and connection we have to attain according to nature’s plan, and that this is inevitable, the only thing remaining for him to do will be to reveal the means of implementing the correction: the Upper Light that Reforms.

Of course, Baal HaSulam did not think of socialism or communism as a goal in and of itself in order to create a well-fed life for the average person in this world. Rather, he had great understanding and personal attainment of the goal of creation.

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The House of Assembly (Beit Knesset – synagogue) and the House of Study (Beit Midrash – request) are the rungs inside a person where he can fit all his questions, explanations, desires, and thoughts. The House of Assembly is a place for gathering all the means for achieving the goal. It is where he tries to pray near the Amud (column), the middle line. The House of Study is an even higher rung, like two rungs: return in trembling and return with love.

In the beginning, we acquire the forces of bestowal and after that we already can work with them by receiving for the sake of bestowal. The House of Assembly is a place where I gather all the forces to ask for and to achieve the property of bestowal, while the House of Study (Midrash – request) is where I am the one who begins to request and reveal the Light of Hochma inside the Light of Hassadim.

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A question I received: If the Creator is the quality of bestowal, how can we bring delight to a quality? Does He really need anything from me?

My Answer: The Creator needs you to enjoy. The host wishes only one thing: for the guest to enjoy. However, He places a condition before you; you can enjoy only when you become like Him.

After all, we don’t want a child to receive pleasure only on his tiny level. We want him to continue growing, to become more mature and smarter. In order to help him develop, we surround him with toys that cause him to advance, rather than to just bring him pleasure. We seek an additional benefit in the activities for children.

The Creator treats us in much the same manner. He does not want us to remain as little animals. At the level of receiving for ourselves, we merely feel a brief life, and even over the course of this life we are never really able to enjoy.

However, if we enjoy while fulfilling the Creator, it does not vanish. We continuously feel even the most minor pleasure that we give Him in His desires to which we connect ourselves.

Why is it that all the pleasures that we feel in our life vanish? We want them to stay. Why should they fade? It is as though we consent to this, but why?

The spiritual world is called eternal. If you feel pleasure there once, it remains and fills you all the time. This is because the pleasure does not annul the desire, since the pleasure exists in one place while the desire exists in another. Therefore, you do not face any problem, you simply add more and more all the time. By this, there is an ascent by the spiritual degrees.

Meanwhile, in this world, everything occurs in one plane, where you move from one loss to another, until life ends, and that’s it.

Let’s hope that we will understand the unique opportunity that is contained in the science of Kabbalah – a science on how to receive infinite and eternal pleasure, and that we will realize it.

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